School-desk.



7 J; -P. GARBER.

' SCHOOL DESK.

APPLIO'ATION FILED 00114. i905.vv

nwEn/m ms NORRIS PETERS ca., v/Asumamu, n. c.

PATENTED' JAN 22,1907;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SCHOOL-DESK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed October 14, 1905. Serial No. 282,854.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PALMER GARBER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 9 Darby street, RidleyPark, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in School-Desks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an adjustable school-desk, and has for itsobject to provide means whereby the top, and particularly that portionadjacent to the pupil on which the arms of the pupil rest, may bereadily adjusted vertically to not'only assume several positions mostconvenient for requirements of different classes of work, but to ad justfor pupils of different sizes.

Heretofore in the branch of the art to which this invention pertainsschool-desks have been provided with adjustable tops and seats, therebeing numerous methods of eflecting these adjustments vertically. Thetops have also been hinged and locks have been provided to hold the topin several adjusted positions. There are several obj ections, however,to these constructions, the chief of which is that to adjust the desksit .is necessary to employ the services of the janitor, whereas the topand seats should be easily adjusted by the pupil, especially since it isoften desirable to change the height and the angle of the top of thedesk several times during a session of the school.

The invention consists in the parts and combination of parts shown inthe drawings, described in the specification, and more particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a school-deskembodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview of the upper portion of the same, the top being shown in ahorizontal position in full lines and in a lowered position in dottedlines. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of one of the sides of the top, thisview illustrating the means for pivoting the latch, and the side flangefor incasing the same.- Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the latch. Fig. 5is an enlarged sectional detail view illustrating more particularly thelatch-lever and spring.

In carrying out my invention I employ side standards 1, a seat 2,pivotally secured thereto at 3, a back 4, and a book-shelf 5, thestandards being horizontal for a short distance, as shown at 6, uponwhich is secured a fixed portion 7 of the top, the forward portionthereof extending beyond the horizontal portion 6 of the side standards,as shown in Fig. 2, forming a pocket between the top and the sidestandards, the standards being inclined, as at 8, the front verticalportion thereof being serrated, as at 9.

10 designates the adjustable top, to each side of which are securedplates 11, provided with ears 12, by which the plates may be secnred tothe top. The plates 1 1 are provided with a hole 13, through which andthrough the side standards 1 passes a rod 14, having nuts 15 upon itsouter ends by which. means the plates, and consequently the top, arepivotally secured to the side standards, the top having a movement froma position substantially horizontal (shown in full lines in Fig. 2) toan incline position, limited by the inclination of the portion 8 of theside standards, which act as a stop for the top in its lowered positionand, if desired, can be f aced with felt, rubber, or other material todeaden the noise when the top comes in contact therewith. Plate 11 isprovided with a side flange 16, slotted at 17, into which rests ahorizontal portion 18 of the catch. The catch is preferably formed of arod bent upon itself at the center, the bent portion being flattened toform a lever 19, the ends of the rod being bent downward, as at 20, toform catches housed by the plate 11 and the side flanges 16, (shown inFig. 2, the catches moving in alinement with the serrations 9 on thefront of the side standards 1 and engage therewith to adjust the top atany desired height or inclination. The under side of the top is providedwith a spring 21 which norn: ally presses the lever 19 clownward and thecatches into engagement with the serrations 9. To adjust the top, it isonly necessary to press the lever 19 to disengage the catches, when thetop may be raised or low ered, and by releasing the lever the catchesautomatically engage in the serrations. The holes 13 in the side plates11 are located substantially in vertical alinement with the rear side oftop 10, and the front edge of the rigid portion 7 of the top extends infront of the rod 14, whereby therear edge of the top 10 is at all. timesbeneath. the rigid portion 7 of the top no matter in what inclinationthe top may be adjusted. Consequently the upper surface of the desk isunbroken and presents a good appearance.

What I claim is- 1. In a school-desk, side standards having a horizontalupper portion and an inclined IIO ward portion of the side standards,the for Wardedge of the movable portion of top moving at alltimes'beneath the h'ee end of the rigid portion of top, and means forsecuring the movable portion of top in an adjusted po sition 2 Inaschooledesk, side standards having serrated rear edges, a top pivotallysecured to the standards at a point below the upper surface of the topand substantially in alinenient With the rear edge of the top, sideplates car,

ried by the top, a rod pivotally secured in the side plates near thefront edge having a catch at each end in alinenient with the serrationsin the standards, and a lever carried by the rod for actuating thecatches.

3. In aschool-desk, side standards, a top formed of two portions, arigid horizontal portion and a movable portion, side plates secured tothe movable portion having side flanges, a rod pivotally secured in theside flanges having a catch at each end housed between the body of theplate and the side flanges, a lever for rocking the rod and moving thecatches, and serrations upon the standards With which thecatchesnornially engage.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN PALMER GARBER. l/Vitnesses LEON I. PEARSON, JAMES F BOYLAN.

